conover



(No'ModeL) S 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

CONOVER. FORMER FOR TABLE FRAMES.

Nd. 289,623. Patented Dem '4, 1883.

Aarlhluuhn v DI D WITNESSES: v INVENTO @Z'W W' v I ;4ATT0RNEY 3SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. A. OONOVER.

FORMER FOR TABLE FRAMES.

No. 289,623. I Patented'Deo 4, 1883.

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l.) 3 sheet -sheet 3. J J. A. GONOVBR. FORMER PO-R TABLE FRAMES-i Nolzsgzs. Patented Bed. 4, 1883.

Ill

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

JACOB A. CONOVER, OF NEl/V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO ALBERT F. GHILDS, OFWASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FORMER FOR TABLE-FRAMES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 289,623, dated December'l, 1883.

Application filed August 29, 1883. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB A. CONOVER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Formers for Table-Frames; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the former.Fig. 2 is a plan view of the former and of the tablefranie securedtherein; Fig. 3, a section on the line a a of Fig. 2, and projection ofparts beyond; Fig. 4., a section onthe line b b of Fig. 2, andprojection of parts beyond; Fig. 5, a plan view of extensible former;Fig. 6, aside elevation of same; Fig. 7, a section through the line f fof Fig. 5, and projection of parts beyond; Fig. 8, a section throughline 1* r of Fig. 5, and projection of parts beyond. Fig. 9 is a planview of one of the corners of the former, showing the adjustable stripapplied to the ends of two of the railsand clamped thereto.

The object of my invention is to provide a former, by the employment ofwhich the ele- .ments that compose the frame of the table may be securedin their proper positions and the completed frame readily withdrawn fromthe former.

My invention consists, first, in a device comprehending a basesupporting side pieces or standards, wherein the planes of the interiorfaces of two adjacent sides are respectively at obtuse angles with theplane of thebase, and adjustable compensating wedge-pieces, forming partof the former; second, in aformer composed of four sections, 'eachsection comprising a base formed of two arms secured at right angles toeach other, each arm carrying a standard or a portion of a side of saidformer, and each section adjustable, its arms traveling on the uppersurfaces of the rails of a subbase, whereby the sections may be adjustedto the positions desired.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 the base of my former is-composed of the bars DD, to which is secured the cross-bars G 0. These bars are secured toeach other relative to the size of the table-frame to be made. Standardsare erected on and secured to these bars of a height commensurate withthe width of the rail of the table-frame. The inward faces of thestandards A A B B are preferably at right angles with or perpendicularlyto the plane of the base, and the standards A A B B have their inwardfaces presenting an obtuse angle with the fioor of the base. Eachcontiguous pair of standards and the arms supporting them at the cornersof the base, as A B, &c., are connected by the brace E, secured firmlyto the bars. The wedge-pieces are compensating pieces-i. 6., areemployed between the sides of the former and the rails of the frame bymeansof which wedge-pieces the configuration of. the frame may bedetermined and said frame held in position until completed. The rails ofthe table-frame are placed in the former, as shown in Fig. 2. The railsI I are first inserted, their outward faces in contact with thestandardsB B and B B, respectively. The ends of a narrow brace or prop,n, is then brought 'into engagement with the interior faces of therails, inorder to keep them temporarily in their places. The otherrails, J J, are then inserted and the brace m inserted to hold them inposition. The corner-blocks F of the table-frame are glued at their endsand inserted into their positions at the corners ofthe frame. Anadjustable corner-strip, 0, is placed so as to engage the ends of twoadjacent rails, and a clamp, 15, applied, the one jaw engagingthecorner-strip O and the other jaw engaging the corner block F, and thehand-screw connecting the jaws is operated until the corner is broughtinto position.

Where the corner-blocks F are not notched before insertion, but presentthe configuration of F, the notches maybe cut and the ends of the railstrimmed and made to coincide with and form a part of the notch after theframe is removed from the former, and I prefer this mode of constructionof the table-frame. But if the notches are out in the corner-blocksbefore insertion into the former and the ends of the rails be carefullyadjusted, then the legs K may be placed in position and secured by thebolts L while in the former. A stop, e, may be secured to the brace Etofacilitate the adjustment of the rails of the frame in the former. Afterthe glue-j oint is made, screws may be in- 2 asacee serted to morefirmly secure the rails of the frame to the corner-blocks.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, the base heretoforedescribed is divided into four sections, each section composed of twoarms and the standards A B, A B, A B, and A B, respectively. Thesesections rest on and operate on the sub-base formed of the rails O D,and are secured to them by the boltst passing through the holes 0 in thesections, which bolts travel in the slots formed in the rails O D. Therails 0, on a portion of their upper sides, are guttered, forming ways,in which the arms O of the sections traverse, (see Fig. 6,) and therails D on a portion of their upper sides are also guttered, so as toform ways in which the arms D travel. A portion of the under side of therail (3 commensurate with the limit of travel or spread of the rails Dis gained out (see Fig. 7) or taken away, and rests upon and travels onthose portions of the upper faces of the rails D which have also aportion commensurate with the spread or limit of travel of the rails Ggained out or taken away. Slots are provided extending from end to endof the gained-out portions of said rails G and D, within which slots thebolts ttravel, and said bolts secure the respective sections of thesub-base onto the rails O D, forming said sub-base, and hold said railsin contact with each other.

The operation is as follows: I first set one of the sections square andtrue with the rails G D, and then adjust the adjacent section to theposition required for that dimension of the table frame, and secure itthere by means of the bolt I.' I then move and adjust the other rail ofthe sub-base, which carries the other two sections until they are in theposition required for the other dimension of the table-frame, and securethem in position in like manner, when the former is ready for use, asdescribed in the first instance. \Vith this construction the relativepositions may be varied to any degree desired, thereby serving as atable-frame former for a frame having any relative dimensions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A table-frame former in which the respective planes of the interiorfaces of two adjacent sides are respectively at obtuse angles with theplane of the base, in combination with an adjustable compensatingwedgepiece forming part of the sides of the former and the cross-braces,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An adjustable table-frame former composed of four sections, eachsection comprising a base formed of two arms secured at right angles toeach other, each arm carrying a standard or a portion of the sides ofthe former, and said arms operating in ways formed in the upper surfacesof the rails of the sub base, and each pair of rails of said sub-baseoperating longitudinally on each other in gained-out portions therein,and each of said sections secured to the sub-base by bolts which travelin slots formed in the rails of the sub-base, and throughtheintersecting ends of said arms, substantially as and for the purposeas set forth.

3. An adjustable table-former composed of four sections, each sectioncomprising a base formed of two arms-secured at right angles to eachother, and connected by a brace having a stop, each arm carrying astandard or a portion of the side of the former, substantially as shownand described.

4. In a former for frames substantially such as herein described, thecombination of the rails G H and I J with the corner-block F, hand-clampP, and corner-strip O, as and for the purpose set forth.

JACOB A. GONOVER.

\Vitn esses I T. VAN ANTWERP, 6. ll. THAYER.

